Groundwork
by linda.ljc
Summary: Good preparation makes for a better team and a more successful mission. Ronon is fairly new on Sheppard's team, with Kusinagi subbing for Zelenka at the last minute.


**Title: Groundwork**

**Author: lindaljc, **

**Summary:** Good preparation makes for a better team and a more successful mission. Ronon is fairly new on the team, with Kusinagi subbing for Zelenka at the last minute.

Characters: J. Shepppard, R. McKay, R. Dex, T. Emmagan, M. Kusinagi, several OC's

Category: Gen, Angst, Drama, Humor, Action/Adventure, Smarm, Mission, Team, Extra Team Member, Earth Cultures, Wraith, Village OC's

Warning for my lack of knowledge of anything Japanese although there are only a few references but Google is not my BF, but Wikipedia is growing on me. I'll own up to any and all errors.

Disclaimer: The characters and settings of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis belongs to Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corporation. All other publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of Stargate: SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis, Star Wars, or any other media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

_This story was written by with the love of the show in mind._

...1

Ronon had his arms crossed over his chest and he looked almost bored. "Come on McKay. Another round and we'll quit for today."

"Today! I won't be able to move for a week. Just because you've been added to Sheppard's team doesn't make it alright to pound me to a pulp. I _do_ have other duties on Atlantis, and I have to show up for the mission, too, you know."

Ronon narrowed his eyes and looked him up and down. "You're hardly sweating. The youngest men and women on Sateda did these workouts in preparation for leaving the Child's Garden. Mothers would watch in pride when they competed and won their place in the Core Units. When those who were competent enough worked up to an Attack Force, full honors were granted, and the family gained favor throughout the city. After their First Wraith Kill, the family received a medal to hang on their front door for all to see. It was a great honor."

Rodney looked stupefied. Ronon never talked about Sateda. But he got stuck on one sentence. "I'm still in the _Child's Garden training_!?" 

Ronon grimaced, and the head tilt more than answered his question.

"Women, too?" Rodney looked seriously worried as he muttered. "Oh, not good. Not good."

"Very young women and men; not yet teenagers. But you'll get better with me training you every day."

"Wha...!"

Ronon uncrossed his arms and scowled, "I understand from Sheppard that it is an unusual regimen for Tau'ri. Sheppard already okay'd it so don't think you'll get out of it."

"But I won't be any good if I'm broken!"

"You might bend. Not break. Missions are necessary and you are needed." Another grimace as he added, "Sheppard said."

"Oh. That's nice. Needed. But not broken. Very nice of Sheppard."

"He goes too easy on you. I may be bigger than you but I'd hate to have to carry you back to the Gate because you can't keep up."

"Carry me! I'll have you know no one has ever had to carry me back to the Gate. Well, I did sprain my ankle that one time when I got caught _in your Wraith trap_. But I didn't get carried, but one of the Marines did help me. And, oh yeah, when I fell down that ravine my back ached for weeks. And, and... oh forget it."

"You work hard on the city. You do well, but out on missions it's not just important to work smart. You also have to be strong, not just to keep up, but help if someone else falls. If you had to leave someone behind it would cause you pain, the pain of guilt. And I know you do not want that."

Rodney gulped. That was a lot of truth in a few sentences. Maybe Ronon knows him well enough. He just nodded, and turned to grab up a towel to wipe the sweat away. Yet he still muttered, softly, and grimaced, "ow, ow, ow," and hoped Ronon didn't hear.

Ronon did hear though, and when Rodney winced this time it had nothing to do with the pain. "We'll also have to work on being silent."

Ronon was satisfied with McKay's progress for now. The future would tell him more. He turned quickly and didn't even see the small Tau'ri woman behind him. She had surprised him with her silence. But he was quick enough to catch her to keep from knocking her down.

She was obviously startled at the unexpectedness of his turn and being grabbed, and she let out a small, "meep", but recovered quickly.

He released her and let her step back a pace before he spoke. "Uh, sorry. You need to watch where you're going in here. We're usually in fighting mode and reactions can come quickly. You might have gotten hurt." He was surprised when she grinned.

"Yes. I will be more careful." She gave a tiny bow, more like a bob of her head. "I came for Dr. McKay. There is need for an urgent repair. Dr. Zelenka says he has work he must do in the lab to prevent this from happening again but there is a conduit near the gym that is damaged. And if Dr. McKay would be so kind as to try to reach it before it explodes, it would be welcome."

Ronon looked perplexed and a bit shocked.

"Oh, do not worry. Dr. Zelenka pretends to exaggerate like Dr. McKay sometimes. Not that Dr. McKay exaggerates all the time, but I can tell when he means it." She leaned in closer to whisper, "But I know this will not explode. At least if it is fixed within a few hours."

"Uh-huh. Well, McKay is all yours. I'll permit him to leave early for this session."

"Thank you." A small head bob, and she was gone.

When he thought about it later he was impressed. She may be tiny, but she was fast as well as being able to move quietly. Of course, if she was one of McKay's scientists it made sense. One thing he approved of about McKay was that he didn't dawdle, about most things.

…2

Rodney had a tray full of food by the time he reached the coffee for a second fill up. Sheppard had dawdled a little too long and when McKay had his second coffee in hand John was left trailing behind till they reached their seats. When Rodney went to sit down, Sheppard heard a long string of soft "ow's" followed by a painful sounding grunt when he finally sat on the bench.

Sheppard managed not to laugh. He'd had a long, well, long for Ronon, talk with their newest team member. Ronon had offered a training regimen for McKay and Sheppard said, "Sure. Go for it." Although he did wonder how long Ronon would put up with Rodney's excuses and being late or forgetting altogether.

McKay started unwrapping his lunch. "Sheppard, I have a bone to pick with you."

John's eyebrows flicked up. He wasn't surprised, only at how long the complaint had taken to come up.

"Yeah. I have enough to do without Ronon pounding on me every day. EVERY. DAY. Did you really authorize that?"

"Uh, yeah."

Rodney's eyes widened as his voice rose in pitch. "You admit it? He's got me running in circles, doing somersaults, shoulder rolls, kicks, you wouldn't believe some of the contortions. And would you believe it, he said I wouldn't even be able to graduate from a Satedan _Child's Garden_ class..."

John tried not to, he really did, because snorting hot coffee was painful, but it came out anyway and then he started choking or laughing or some combination.

Rodney just looked startled and started pounding him on the back. "Ouch. Hot coffee. Bet that hurt. You okay?"

John snorted painfully and chuckled. "_Child's Garden_?"

Rodney gave him another, stronger, thump on the back. "Did _that_ hurt?" With a glare he then turned back to his lunch. "...ow."

…3

Sheppard had paced, checked his watch, looked toward all the entrances to the Gate Room and finally snapped. "Is this mission ever going through the Gate? Come on people, what could be holding him up?"

McKay crossed his arms awkwardly over his P-90 hooked to his chest harness. "Well, for once it isn't my fault. Zelenka knew when he was supposed to be here. You sent emails to all of us, what more does he need?"

Sheppard put his hands on his hips and looked disgustedly at his scientist. "And just how many times do I remind you? Besides the briefing. Besides making sure you're tucked in early enough to get some sleep the night before. Besides making sure you have at least two coffees at breakfast. Besides making sure you _have_ breakfast. Besides calling you on the comm to get yourself geared up... And I call you _after_ I send the morning email..."

"Okay, okay, okay. Why are you so grouchy this morning?"

If Sheppard were a Goa'uld his eyes would have glowed with the glare sent McKay's way. It was the kind of look that actually made Rodney flinch.

"Well, I don't know where he is, Sheppard. You have a comm. Use it. Call him. You're the Colonel!"

Sheppard's voice was deceptively soft but left no doubt that he was indeed _grouchy_. "Good idea, McKay. Why didn't I think of that?" Snapping on his comm he got as far as, "Radek", when he got a reply with an entirely too cheerful Scottish brogue.

"Ah, Colonel Sheppard. Poor Radek is out on sick call this morning ah'm afraid. The lad just limped in with a vera' bad sprain. He said he was late, due for a mission, and slipped on the stairs. Ah'm afraid he'll be down for several days at least." Beckett at least sounded sorry, and sincere about the "lad's" injury.

Sheppard sighed, grimaced, and said, "Thanks, Doc. We'll have to make do or find a last minute sub. Sheppard out." He couldn't help sighing again. "McKay, there's an awful lot of extra gear we have to bring, who else do you have available that can handle the tech that we might see at this outpost?"

McKay actually wrung his hands. "Well, there's really only one that's got the computer hacking skills we might need and isn't assigned something important right now."

"Well, get him down here. Stat. Ten minutes, no more."

Rodney cleared his throat, "Well, that would be a her."

"Simpson?"

"Ah, no. Kusinagi."

Sheppard's head fell back in resignation. "How long will it take to get this hacking done?"

"Well, probably faster with her than Zelenka. She's really the best we have at that, except for me of course."

"Of course. Okay. Tell her we'll leave in 20 minutes. She hasn't been off world for months. Tell her to come as fast as she can."

McKay relayed the message. "Now what?"

"20 minutes. Sit. Take a break. We leave when she gets here. I'll go let Elizabeth know."

…4

Twenty-two minutes later Dr. Kusinagi dashed into the Gate Room.

"I am so sorry. The Armory Guard would not let me..."

Sheppard shook his head. "I know. He finally called for permission to arm you..."

McKay muttered, "The idiot."

Sheppard cocked his head. "He was following my orders, McKay. It was my fault I didn't call ahead and okay the change from Zelenka to Kusinagi."

McKay smirked. "I didn't say who was the idiot."

"Riiight. You know I had to talk to Elizabeth, then Chuck needed an update, and then Lorne called with a question... Never mind. Let's get this show on the road. Teyla check Kusinagi's pack and weapon straps and then we'll head out."

Teyla smiled at the somewhat nervous Doctor. "You did well to get here as fast as you did. Everything looks properly done."

Miko nodded quickly. "Thank you. I try to stay prepared for an emergency mission. I keep my pack updated with what I feel might be needed for any upcoming mission. I just did not know the Marine at the Armory and wasn't sure what to do. I knew the Colonel needed to authorize the weapons for me but wasn't sure of the procedure when the Marine refused."

"You still made good time. The Colonel was not displeased."

"Thank you. It would be a bad way to start a mission."

Sheppard bent to pick up his own pack and one of the extra totes needed for their mission. They didn't know how far in they'd have to walk but didn't expect it to be far from the previous mission team's report. In fact they expected to be back before planet sundown. But there was foul weather gear, just in case. "McKay, just how bad does the weather get on this planet? The extra gear and the stuff for your science mission seems like a lot. And how come we're all toting extra packs anyway?"

"Because I have my own extra pack and the LSD and another sensor because it picks up this type of energy signature better. Unfortunately I can't do everything, Colonel. Besides we could just take a Jumper, but noooo. It can't be that far, you said!"

"Oh, yeah. Well, I'll just be one of the pack mules this time then. I hope the weather doesn't get as bad as it's been reported to get. If it does we may come back for the Jumper. Or the Jumper may have to come and get us if we're delayed."

"Well, better to have the extra gear and not need it than wish we'd prepared better. Teyla says the weather can be unseasonable, both winter and summer. And I'm not really sure the Jumper would pick up this energy signature. These readings wouldn't normally be picked up by the regular sensors. It was a fluke that the other mission team picked up the readings at all. They must have been pretty close. I made a few adjustments hoping to narrow it down."

Ronon and Teyla picked up their packs, which contained sleeping bags as well as extra rations. Miko seeing that Ronon had taken two packs tried to relieve him of one but he just glared at her. "It's almost half your weight. I'll manage."

Miko looked embarrassed. "If you wish. But I can carry it for a short way at least. Perhaps until we take a break?"

Ronon just snorted and headed toward the Gate.

Miko followed after him looking dejected.

Sheppard had heard and just before he stepped through the Gate he looked back over his shoulder. "Ronon. Let her carry it."

Ronon grimaced. "It was packed for Zelenka."

Sheppard nodded. "Yeah, but I bet she'll manage. Kusinagi, just don't wear yourself out. Pass it off to one of us when you need a break. You can take it back when you're ready. That's an order, Doctor."

Miko looked determined. "I can carry the pack, but I will also follow orders." She stepped up to Ronon. "Which one is Dr. Zelenka's pack?"

Ronon stared down at her for a moment before swinging the pack up easily to his waist height and let it go into her waiting hand. He snorted when the weight caused it to almost hit the floor.

Miko was not impressed. She said with dignity, "It was not necessary to prove I am smaller and not as strong as you. But I am also not weak."

Teyla smirked at Ronon, and Sheppard grinned.

McKay was slightly astonished for a moment, but Miko had stood up to him a few times so he just shrugged it off and hid his own smirk from Ronon.

Ronon shrewdly said nothing since he knew he'd crossed a line, and Teyla might _remind_ him later with her bantos rods once they returned to Atlantis.

Sheppard nodded toward the Gate. "Let's go folks. Ronon bring up the rear. Teyla stick with Miko. McKay, you're after me. Just keep me pointed in the right direction."

...5

This planet was one that Teyla knew well from traveling with her father, so she was surprised that another team had sensed a signal from an Ancient outpost. She had never even heard a rumor that the Ancestors had once lived there or even visited, and such stories were common. Whether they were true or not was another matter.

It was also a planet where very few people lived year round. It's winter/summer weather extremes were unpleasant enough that only the young and/or hardy braved it for the large arma beasts that provided tasty meat as well as beautiful, tough, tanned hides, and tusks that were difficult to carve but could be honed to razor sharpness. Some of the carvings were very beautiful and gave the villagers a winter occupation when they were mostly kept inside, and they were considered valuable trade items.

The planet also had a seasonal trading post, with the harvest fair situated in the middle of their summer. As hot as that could be, at least the arma beasts would be up north in the wetter, cooler areas, and anything was better than their winter, whenever it might descend upon them.

They were too late for the trading season unfortunately, or they could have sent a larger team to make acquisitions and do the science mission, too. But fortunately for the team they knew that the planet did have a good system of narrow walking trails near the Gate which connected the widely scattered tiny villages. And that was always a good thing when a team on a mission had to carry heavy gear. If they'd had to clear a path for the whole distance it would have been a backbreaking job. But then Rodney would have insisted that they bring a Jumper.

Rodney watched both the LSD and the sensor for the energy signature. That didn't stop him from talking, or complaining. "I really wish these sensors could tell us more information. This energy output is unusual all by itself, but it would nice if it could tell me something useful, like if it's energy from a zedpm factory or something."

"If it could tell us that we'd be opening every Gate and shoving you and that sensor through to every address we have. Then you could come back with the information, and we wouldn't have to go on all these lovely missions." Sheppard smirked. "Maybe you could whip up one of those kinds of sensors, hey, McKay?"

McKay looked disgruntled but didn't reply.

Miko glanced at Teyla after Sheppard's remark. After watching Rodney for a moment and when no one defended him she spoke up casually. "Colonel Sheppard, Dr. McKay has worked for many hours to improve the sensors range and abilities. It is difficult work when we don't know what the different energy signatures _should_ look like."

Sheppard stopped and turned. He stared at McKay who looked a little flustered. "Huh. Sorry, Rodney. You always make science stuff look easy. I guess I take it for granted that if you wanted something to work, then you'd _fix it_. But I guess it's not so easy."

Miko sighed. "Everything the Ancients made looks easy once we've figured it out, but we have so far to go to catch up. It won't be in our lifetimes. And there is so much I want to learn." She sighed as she shifted her heavy tote to her other hand and resumed walking, and everyone else fell into order.

...6

They only walked for half an hour and took a break. The extra packs had slowed them down a little, but also Miko hadn't been off world in months so Sheppard wanted to take it easy to see how she was doing. After the break they continued to take it slow. Rodney was still trying to calibrate the finicky sensor on the fly. They walked for another forty-five minutes, and they came across a small village.

There were a few sturdy structures, a couple of longhouses that probably housed the whole village in the winter season with huge stone fireplaces at each end. But also there were tents pitched up along the walls outside which probably served for summer when temperatures were high and uncomfortable, and they could be taken down easily for winter storage or to keep wood near during storms. The briefing they'd had said the summers and winters both suffered storms that could last days, even weeks. There were also some sturdy looking lean-tos to keep a few small animals away from living areas and places for the people to work out of the elements.

The small group that lived there started to gather when they saw the team coming. They didn't look welcoming but didn't seem hostile. Maybe they were unused to visitors especially after the regular trading season. Probably even the traders that came for the harvest fair in the summer stayed in the stalls near the Gate and didn't venture into unknown territory, especially if they didn't know if arma beasts might wander close.

Sheppard gestured a halt and the villagers exchanged worried glances. "I hope we're not interrupting your work. We're only passing through."

Teyla stepped forward and smiled at an elderly woman, "Lamardra, it's been too many years!"

"Ah, is that little Teylina? You are a grown woman. You must stop and share tea at least. Mid meal is approaching and we will be glad to visit while we wait till it's ready. You must have tales to share, and we would be glad to welcome your friends as well."

Teyla glanced at John, and got a quick nod, with a small gesture to keep it short. "Yes, tea would be welcome, Lamardra. We were near time for a rest anyway. We can take a little time to catch up. But we have a long way to go so we can't stay long."

They joined hands and touched foreheads, then Lamardra smiled widely and wrapped Teyla in a sturdy hug, and it was good to hear Teyla laugh at what must have been a familiar greeting between the two. Lamardra must be a good friend indeed. She spoke softly into Teyla's shoulder. "You are not longer Teylina. The years go by so fast."

The women of all ages from the village left their work and settled near one side of the fire, while the men settled on the other. One of each group served their own and their guests.

The women talked of families, children, old ones lost, the work they did for their families and to provide items from the hides, and growing things for their own use. Today they were clearing the last of the grain fields.

The men could be heard boasting of the arma beasts they had hunted and the fierce bargaining with the buyers. The women would sometimes smile at the tales that were told around the men's group when they were especially boisterous. Probably tales they'd heard before, and maybe embellished just a bit.

The Atlantis team listened closely. The arma beasts were large, and fought viciously with their shoulder tusks even though they were slow moving animals. Hunting them took skill, especially with their primitive weapons, and the boasts sounded justified to them.

The men told tales of how they went about capturing the arma beasts; how they had to separate one of the beasts at a time from the herds in the wet lands to the north in the summer. The easiest time was when one of the heavy beasts got mired and the men could wait for the herd to leave it behind. Or in the winter, if one kept to the plains nearby they would have to kill it before it came too close to the village. In either season it was dangerous and arduous work.

Eventually the group of women started to return to their tasks. Some had been cutting and gathering up grain sheaths, and others were storing items in what would have been called root cellars on Earth. Others started to ready the mid day meal.

The team needed to move on so Teyla stood to bid goodbye in Athosian fashion to Lamardra, and received a hug in return.

The men's group was still boisterous and even Ronon had joined in with a tale of his own. Although he almost never revealed he had been a Runner since he seldom spoke of those years to anyone, he did have many tales he could tell of wild beasts and living off the land.

One of the harsher men asked if the other two had no stories to tell of prey they hunted to feed their village.

Sheppard was grinning as he explained that most of our world was covered with water. He held his hands outstretched to great lengths and told how he fought a fish too big for him to pull ashore by himself, and that Ronon had to help him.

"And you? You have said nothing of your hunting prowess."

Rodney gulped. "Ah, well, I'm not really a hunter." He tried to make a joke by adding, "But I did get caught in one of Ronon's snares once." He chuckled as did Sheppard. Ronon snorted softly.

The other men in the circle were strangely quiet.

"You do not provide for your village?"

"Well, I do a lot for the cit-village. It's just not hunting, or, or, fishing."

John reached out and placed a firm hand on Rodney's shoulder. "This one has other duties. Not everyone hunts in our village."

The men all stood as if insulted. "We welcomed you. Sat for tea with you, thinking you were honored in your village as we are here. That you came to hunt for the good of you and your families."

Kusinagi thought Teyla was looking worried. As she slowly walked to join the rest of the team in the men's circle Miko kept close to her.

"Anyel. You know there are many ways to provide for your people. Not everyone does well at every task."

"I know this, Teyla, daughter of Tagan, leader of your people and a trader. But we would not have honored him by letting him join in the men's circle." He spat on the ground as if in disgust. "Maybe you should have taken him to the women's circle."

Miko stepped closer to Rodney. "I am honored to work for Dr. Rodney McKay. I have seen his work and have observed him in his searching. When you seek out arma beasts do you not search for signs and use your knowledge? McKay is a seeker of knowledge, maybe you would say scholar. When our need is greatest he is often the one we turn to. If you do not honor him, that is your choice. But we honor him greatly."

Teyla glared at the man, Anyel. "We have sat with you for tea. We thank you for your hospitality, but now we must be going." She turned to Lamardra and did not smile. "Thank you Lamardra. It was good to see you. Perhaps we can visit again some day."

Lamardra was obviously upset. "You... and your friends... are welcome here any time. Do not let Anyel's words keep you from your friends here in the village. Our tea is _always_ warm for you, and we would welcome another visit dear friend. Perhaps on your way home you will have time to stop for another cup."

Teyla nodded in acceptance of her genuine attempt at apology for something that was not her fault.

Sheppard picked up his bags, and the team did the same as they left the village.

...7

They were silent until out of sight of the village. Teyla spoke softly because voices could still carry, or they might even be followed. "I never approved of some of Anyel's ideas, but it was not my place to say something when father and I visited. When Anyel was still a child, someone should have taken him to task for his insulting words. I would be surprised if he has not caused trouble with other visitors."

Rodney looked a little flushed. "Uh, Kusinagi, what you said back there..."

"It was only the truth, Dr. McKay. They track arma beasts. They know nothing of your skills so they have no comparison. But still, they should not demean another's craft. The things I have seen you do make science almost an art. I am truly honored to work with you. I have learned much from you."

"Well, ah..."

Sheppard grinned. "McKay, just take the compliment and say _thank you_."

"Yes, ah, thank you, Miko, for the words and for sticking up for me. And don't think I've forgotten what you said about the sensor, either. But it was getting a little tense back there before you and Teyla came to our side of the fire."

Sheppard said, "Yeah, thanks ladies. I'm glad you and Teyla spoke up. We might have had a fight on our hands. Anyel is a pretty aggressive guy. It would have been a shame, too. They certainly have the right to be proud of their skills. It's a hard life on most planets, but the weather here is especially harsh. And then to still have to worry about the Wraith... but I guess there can still be a bully around every corner."

McKay checked his sensors. "Well, we have a ways to go. The sensor signal is starting to get stronger, but I think we'll have to leave this path to get there."

Sheppard groaned. "Okay. I guess I knew that was coming sometime. Ronon, I hope you brought one of your biggest knives to cut through this brush."

Ronon smirked. "Don't worry Sheppard, I brought several. I wouldn't want you to have to work alone."

"Thanks... I think... though I hope we'll end up taking turns with one knife since we just need a narrow path. I hope you brought a great big old machete." And he acted out stabbing motions into the brush at the side of the path.

Ronon shook his head. "We wouldn't get far that way. Stabbing a tree is a good way to lose control of whatever kind of sword that's supposed to be."

McKay looked up. "I bet it's supposed to be a _light saber._"

Miko grinned. "Or maybe a katana." She had dropped her pack and dropped into a fighting stance readying to pull her invisible katana from a sheath in her belt, if she'd had one.

Everyone turned and stared and she blushed before standing and grabbing her pack again. "Sorry. I like manga very much. And you like Star Wars. I know because I have heard you arguing often about the movies."

Ronon kept staring at the three of them for a moment before getting back to the point he was going to make before they'd vanished into Earth culture. "Finding an animal trail might be easier. McKay, what direction is the energy signal?"

"Well, it's uh, north," and pointed.

Ronon sighed and replied ironically. "Okay, east it is. Let's follow this path for a while, and I'll see if I can spot a trail. It may not be straight but it might be a lot easier than hacking through this stuff. It has to be pretty hardy to be able to grow here at all."

Sheppard nodded and grinned as he needled McKay. "East. More lessons on survival training coming your way, Doc."

"Of course. Why not? Remember you're the one that said to keep you pointed in the right direction. I may not know directions but I don't get lost as often as you."

"Hey! You're the one that can't fly in a straight line!"

Teyla smiled an actual smile. "We would not want to lose you, Rodney, just because we did not teach you well enough. And with you watching the sensors, even John keeps on the right path."

Miko grinned unashamedly. "You would not let us get away with not knowing what we need to know, to not be morons, Dr. McKay."

"M-morons! I simply made a mistake."

Sheppard added, "Of 90 degrees. At least I can tell north from south and read a compass."

"So, _you say_." But McKay groaned. "Okay. Lessons. Survival. Got it."

...8

Teyla had taken over the last position with Miko in front of her on the narrow trail, and Ronon had moved up ahead of them to make sure the trail was working out as the best direction for McKay's directions, and that Sheppard would keep to the best trail since the animal trail that Ronon found was not straight. But it meandered gently in the general direction of east so they kept going single-file.

The branches sometimes clung to their extra totes and with only one hand free like everyone but Rodney, and being so tall, Ronon kept getting slapped in the face when branches were pulled back so they could pass. Miko would have passed easily under most of them, but McKay didn't pay enough attention to the trail itself. But Ronon kept quiet about the branches because he knew Rodney was still fussing with the sensor and keeping an eye on the LSD, and had his extra pack. That was... until one particular branch hit Ronon and knocked the wind out of him.

Teyla hurried up to him. "Relax, Ronon. Straining only makes it harder." She rubbed gently up and down his arm since his pack covered his back. Finally Ronon could stand upright again.

"McKay..." was the first word he wheezed out.

Rodney looked like he had no idea what he'd done but he caught on quickly. "Oh. Oh! I did that. I'm really sorry."

Teyla spoke before Ronon could. "You have not been careful with the branches all this way, and Ronon has been very patient. If you could, please look up from the sensor once in a while."

"Oh. Then... I - I really am sorry. The sensor keeps receiving highs and lows of energy output and during the peaks the direction gets easier to read. I'm afraid I'll miss the signal when it's most important."

Ronon just shook his head and sighed. "Never mind. I know your mind's on that thing and not where you're walking. I should have watched the branches closer."

Sheppard called a break to give Ronon a chance to catch his breath.

...9

It was another hour before Rodney threw up his hands in disgust.

"Are you kidding!"

"What's wrong?"

Rodney's shoulders slumped. "The direction went from north, sorry, east, to straight down from one second to the next."

Everybody stopped and looked at the ground.

Sheppard asked, "Down? Are we there?"

They all started to turn in small circles checking for some physical sign that it might possibly be right under their feet now. If it was, then good, the walking was over. But if it was, then now they had to find an entrance which could be cloaked or maybe they'd have to dig down to find it.

Sheppard sighed when no one spotted anything obvious and kept staring at the ground. "Okay. Can you give us some idea how far down?"

"Well, not really, but the signal is much stronger than it was a few steps back."

Sheppard directed them all to drop their extra packs and head outward from their position.

Ronon just pulled out a rather long knife and stuck it in the ground. It sank to the hilt. He moved it closer to Rodney, who backed up hurriedly. Again the knife sank to the hilt, but Ronon started digging at the soil and about two feet down he hit something solid.

Rodney leaned over Ronon's _dig site_ and aimed the sensor. "Hey, this is it. Best signal I've gotten yet!" He stood and looked around the area. "Well, what are you standing around for, find a door!"

Sheppard went to his pack and pulled out a small shovel. He looked at McKay and answered sarcastically. "Sure. No problem, Rodney. Everybody, just get a tool from your packs, a shovel or an ax. We don't know exactly what we'll need yet. We need to take a better look around. The land seems to slope off to the south so let's check there first. Come on, McKay. You, too."

"Me? But the sensor..."

"McKay, you found it already. None of us know what the door is going to look like after thousands of years of debris collecting on it, so we could use your help."

"Oh, well, okay."

"But keep the sensor out and a shovel handy. Make sure we're not searching too far out. As long as it keeps pointing down, I guess we're good."

...10

They did eventually find the door, on the north side. There was a large area of shrubs growing up around it and the axes did the job eventually of clearing a path through the roots as they dug down. At least they didn't have to deal with old growth trees.

The locking mechanism looked much less complex than most they'd run into. No hacking needed. It seemed like a rather complicated mechanical lock though, which didn't delay them as much as having to hack a computer system would have since Ronon had pulled out an actual machete and decapitated the lock with one blow.

They entered the Ancient outpost, and that was a lot better than a totally alien structure. At least it was familiar, and that had been what they'd expected from the energy signature. But, like all Ancient structures, it was different in subtle and unsubtle ways.

They discovered quickly that this site wasn't much like the ones they'd been to before though. Most Ancient sites had been built like bunkers, underground. This one had windows, so originally it had mostly been above ground, but now it was buried under the debris of millennia, so it might as well have been a bunker like the others they'd found. Luckily they knew to bring their own flashlights.

The lights were off until they reached the control room two levels down and Rodney and Miko started to work. Miko went directly to the computer console and started hooking their computers into the ones they'd found.

Ronon, Teyla, and Sheppard didn't have much to do at the moment. Sheppard was waiting to see if the science part of the team would need him to initialize the system, but the lights came up soon after. John's eyebrows rose in surprise. "McKay, that was quick."

"Oh, ah, that wasn't me. It was Miko. She has a natural gene, not as strong as yours, but you know that. Besides, I told you she's great at hacking into these systems." McKay went on speaking, preoccupied by the work that needed to be done. But the others noticed Miko's blush at the unusual compliment from Rodney.

"I guess we're all set to download now that we're into the system so if you guys want to wander around and see if there's anything interesting or equipment that might be of use then you wouldn't have to stand watch over us. Unless this place starts to cave in there doesn't seem to be anything particularly dangerous about this place. Yell if you _see_ anything interesting."

"As long as you don't trip any Ancient booby traps... or cave ins, I guess you should be safe enough. Yell if you _need_ anything."

...11

They checked the rooms on the top floor more closely, but those rooms and the ones around the control area looked oddly like Earth business cubicles and even a lunch area. It was probably where the big shots hung out. With the windows that were now covered by debris, they would have had a nice view from them with them cleared.

In the supposed _lunch area_, Sheppard checked out what looked a little like an Ancient microwave but didn't try to turn it on. He'd let McKay look at it later. He knew better than to touch anything before it was checked out, and he didn't have any popcorn anyway.

Sheppard wandered through another room, not touching anything, but he reached up to activate his comm. "Hey, Rodney. This is kind of weird. I mean design wise it looks like Ancient architecture but it looks like they left in a hurry. There are stacks of things on what look like desks, at least that's what it looks like to me. They don't look like computer consoles. Oh, and maybe we should have brought popcorn. I swear there's an Ancient microwave back in the lunch room."

"That's weird. We never found anything like that anywhere on Atlantis."

"Well, this stuff seems to have been here a long time, and it almost feels dated, if you know what I mean. And there are no dust covers on anything we've found either. There's like a half inch of dust on everything."

"Hmm. Usually they close their outposts down more carefully than that. Maybe the air filtration system wasn't working properly or just failed."

"Dr. McKay?" Miko broke in.

"What? Some problem?"

"This is a very strange coding system. Very different from Atlantis. This will take a little time to hack but it should be interesting."

Sheppard asked, "Is that interesting _good_, or interesting _bad_?"

Miko chuckled. "If this is an older version of Ancient it could be thousands of years earlier than Atlantis' records. So, hopefully interesting good. But it could also offer nothing new because of it's age, so also, bad."

Rodney sighed. "Well, maybe the anthropologists will like it, at least."

"McKay, how long before it's downloaded?"

Miko answered wistfully, "Not that long. Our systems are about as fast as this one, but we can't hurry the download. It should take perhaps a couple of hours."

Sheppard stifled a sigh. "Hours. Great. Well, let's go see if we can find something more interesting than cubicles. Been there, done that, I think I've got one of my own."

...12

The three members of the team not working in the computer room searched the floor they were on and went back to the stairway to search the lower levels. They found an equipment room that looked like it could have been a chem lab, or maybe for biological studies. Lots of glass vials, beakers, and tanks that would have looked shiny and new except for the dust, though there was less dust than upstairs. There were empty rooms that might have been storerooms, but only held empty shelving now.

They found more windows covered by debris as they went lower, but they were unbroken. They had to be tough to withstand the strain, and the ravages of this planet's weather. This whole complex, at least the several stories they'd seen, must have been above ground in the time of the Ancients. Sheppard wondered idly how many years it had taken to bury a complex this tall.

They went down another floor and found a room with cages. Big cages. That was disquieting. They were so big they could have held their whole team with room to spare.

The next floor down gave them a much better idea of what was going on here in this outpost. Certain studies were being done here and of a biological nature because of those cages. They found what anyone from Earth that had ever seen a TV show with a morgue would recognize.

Sheppard wrinkled up his nose, though there was no smell associated with the room. "Oh, this is not good."

Teyla asked, "What is not good? This area reminds me of some of the infirmary's rooms where some of Dr. Biro's work is done. In what way is that bad?"

"It looks like a room to dissect animals or whatever they were studying here."

Teyla looked dismayed. She knew why Biro's autopsy work was considered important but she held a dim view of experiments on _living_ beings, human or animal. Her own DNA manipulation by the Wraith was enough to cause her outrage, but the Ancestors had done worse; they had created the Wraith, among other atrocities. "The Ancestors played games of life and death in too many cases. That much we know from Atlantis itself and what we have discovered on other worlds. This is not a good discovery. Perhaps we do not need the records that Dr. Kusinagi is saving."

Sheppard knew just how she felt. He still wasn't quite sure how he felt about his own ancestry and how it involved the Ancients. He'd often wondered: just how did humans get the ATA gene? Was it something forced on them in some lab or did it happen _naturally_ through intermarriage? "I don't know what they were doing here, or how bad it got here, but I think we need to know at least what it was about. Just make sure not to touch anything. Let's check out a few more rooms."

They found what looked like a records room with what seemed to be filing cabinets, but they were empty, too. And then they found a type of generator and it was still working. It was not a ZPM but something totally different. No planned obsolescence here, Sheppard thought idly.

Sheppard called on the comm. "McKay can you leave that stuff for a bit. We found a generator. We think."

"Coming. Kusinagi, yell if you need anything."

"McKay, stairs at the end of the hall on the right, down three more levels."

When Rodney reached the door he rushed to see the generator. After checking it over visually he pushed a few buttons and the lights came up brighter. Then he sighed and frowned. "We've found these types before. They're incredibly reliable, obviously, to still be working after all these years but their output is on the low side."

Sheppard filled him in on what they'd seen. "We think they were doing biological studies. There are rooms with cages. Big cages. And very large tables in another room with instruments that Carson or Dr. Biro would have, like in an autopsy room."

Rodney looked revolted. "Well, this generator probably provided enough power for their needs then: lights, heating, cooling, maybe refrigeration, that kind of thing. We'd already located the plans in the database on Atlantis for this type of power generator so it's nothing we need to investigate further. It seems to be geothermal like the others so it isn't something we could pack up and take back, at least not easily."

Ronon called to them from the stairway. "You should come down and see this."

They all walked down to the last floor, in the basement, to the room where Ronon was now standing.

"Go on in. I saw enough already."

They went in the door but didn't go far.

Rodney gulped. "I hope those are arma beasts in those storage units."

Sheppard looked slightly revolted now. "How can you tell when they're all in pieces like that?"

"I can't really. Just guessing. No, wait, they _are_ arma beasts. See there, that long skull and the horned shoulder pads? They look like they're in some kind of stasis unit, not frozen anyway. The records should tell us if this is something useful. It doesn't look like the stasis units on Atlantis so they're probably an earlier version. If the records can tell us something useful about them we may come back and check them out further."

Teyla glared at the display. "Why did they do this?"

Rodney glanced worriedly at her. He could tell she was upset by these experiments, especially when no one knew the reason behind them. It made him uneasy, too. "I don't know for sure, but even on Earth we experiment on animals and plants, too. We know the Ancients terraformed some worlds and adapted different animals to live in those environments. That's probably what we'll learn for sure when we get those records back to Atlantis."

"And this is necessary, even on Earth?"

"Well, nature will make changes over time, but sometimes you don't want to wait thousands of years for things to happen naturally, and then you still wouldn't be sure of a good outcome. We have many plants and animals on Earth that have been bred for specific traits. I'm not saying that's always good because there's always someone that wants to take it too far. But we have billions of people on Earth to feed, and a lot of food has been altered genetically for more production. You like Earth bananas, Teyla. The original form was not really edible but now it's very nutritious. There are people trying to develop food with nutrients that are lacking in the areas some populations live in, like vitamin A that prevents blindness."

Rodney went on to add, "And some people rage about adapting some animals so they could never survive in the wild even if they have a purpose in feeding our people. These are questions we're debating now on Earth. We'll have to draw a line somewhere, but we haven't yet, at least in most cases. But we are learning that just because an animal is cute or can't claw the furniture we shouldn't be breeding them so life is difficult or short or just painful for them. I wonder if the Ancients even gave a thought to what the animals lives would be like out of their own habitat, or changing them so much that they couldn't live there any more?"

They finally turned and fled the lower levels, but let Rodney have time to see the other types of rooms they'd found. The "microwave" proved uninteresting to him. He thought it might have a medical purpose but didn't investigate further but managed a joke about making mutant popcorn in it. No one really thought it was very funny, and he figured there were probably more advanced devices on Atlantis that would be better able to do whatever it had done in it's day. The autopsy room was only good for a short stop. Rodney looked a little pale himself after that.

Over comm Miko spoke. "Dr. McKay, the download is complete. Should I join you?"

"No. No need. Nothing terribly interesting for us. It seems to be an animal experimental station, probably for arma beasts, with lots of stuff we really wished we didn't see. There was also an old style generator we already have the plans for. Just pack up, we're almost back to your floor."

"I will be ready. I was able to decipher some of the list of contents. It was as you say, an experimental station for the arma beasts. From a few pictures I was able to access they seemed quite different than they are today. Those that study animal science will be quite interested."

...13

Before the team left the area, they took the time to cover the door they'd cleared, which they'd discovered was on the roof of the building when it was used by the Ancients, and the floor with the animal remains was indeed underground. They spread forest debris over the door to conceal it.

Any inhabitants of the planet could be hurt if they investigated this place not knowing what they were getting into. There might be biological contaminants they could access or they might overload the generator or some other danger could hurt someone. Their team knew better than to poke too deeply into Ancient business. If the records they'd collected revealed anything interesting then they could come back.

Teyla sighed deeply when they were done. What had been a sunny day with a mild, even gentle wind had turned to a viciously cold and blustery version, and they'd only been at the site for a couple of hours. "I am glad we are leaving. The seasons change rapidly and winter is most severe. My father would always plan to visit for the summer harvest market. Even then it was prudent to be prepared for swift changes."

Sheppard squinted his eyes as he tried to gauge the weather and how it might affect their mission. "Yeah, I'd really like to be out of here before it snows. If we have to come back it will be by Jumper, or wait until better weather in the spring. I think maybe I'll pull out my heavy coat just in case and pack away the lighter one. I've been caught in a snow squall before, and we could have inches of snow in minutes."

McKay grinned in agreement. "I'm all for being warm."

They all decided to change to something warmer and pulled on gloves, too, even Ronon, though he chose to pull on a loose cowl to keep the chill from his neck, but kept his long leather coat. If he got cold he'd add inner layers later when he felt he needed it.

"Well, it will lighten the backpacks at least." Miko sighed. "I will appreciate that. I am not used to the straps on my shoulders." She glanced at Sheppard and grinned quickly before adding, "I am not complaining, but maybe I need to go on more missions."

John grinned. "Careful what you wish for, Doctor."

The walk back was as tiring as walking in but the cold encouraged them to hurry a bit. But everyone was in good spirits since the snow Sheppard had worried about didn't make an appearance even though the wind started to become even more forceful and the temperature continued to drop. They still arrived at the outskirts of Lamardra's village well before dark, and from there it would be a fairly easy walk to the Gate on a well-used trail. If they didn't need to stop for a break they could make it in less than an hour. Sheppard thought that getting back before sundown would be prudent.

...14

The men of the village were gathered around a lean-to where an arma beast was being butchered. The meat would be preserved by drying or salting, the most common practices. If it had been later in the season, they could just pack it into a cold room as there weren't many scavengers that didn't hibernate through the winter. The hide of the beast they were working on would need to be scraped and tanned before the traders came again in the spring.

The women had continued with their cutting and threshing of the hardy grain for the little water mill on the creek in the lower part of the valley near the Stargate. Hopefully they'd finish before the water froze completely or they would have to work the grain by grinding it between stones similar to a mortar and pestle. There didn't seem to be any other recourse as there weren't even any intermediate sized animals for farm work, not even one as large as a small dog.

Teyla saw her friend by the gate near the huge stacks of winter wood cut and arranged like a fortress between the fields of grain and the village long houses. "Lamardra. Good day to you my friend. It is good to see you again before we leave."

Lamardra had been sharpening her scythe but left it readily next to one of the great piles of dried wood for the winter. She happily greeted Teyla. "Then you must share tea before you move on. I fear it will be a long time before you pass this way again."

Teyla stiffened a little. "Perhaps some other time. It is still a ways to the Ring and we will be missed if we tarry too long."

Lamardra nodded. She understood that Anyel had made a very poor impression on Teyla's group. "There is still so much time to make up for. I wish you would stay, to let me apologize properly."

Teyla glanced at Sheppard, and he looked to McKay. Rodney looked a little apprehensive but he tilted his head in a gesture of consent. She turned back to Lamardra. "Thank you. We accept. But just a short stay. Warm tea would certainly be welcome. It seems the weather has turned already."

Lamardra grinned and waved to all the women to join them but she ignored the men entirely. The women started to settle around the entire fire to wait for them. The men at the lean-to stayed at their work but some of them watched as they headed to the fire.

"Ah, Teyla. This little wind is but a caress compared to what will come. But we will be ready. We have more meat to prepare as you see. The men were lucky to find one that strayed near the village today. And we have some fine pickled meat also. And with the grain, and the winter hardy tubers we have stored away... well we are well set for the long season to come. And as you can see, the village is like a fortress with all the wood we have for our fires to keep us warm stacked around us and near the village houses."

"Indeed, it is like a fortress."

"The wood is the work of many, many days. Cut early in the spring it has a chance to dry so that it burns hotly. It's as necessary for our survival as hunting the arma beasts."

As the team strode closer to the fire Ronon wondered, "Do you have trouble with wild animals?"

"The arma beasts themselves mostly seek the plains. They are so large that climbing hills does not tempt them often. And not many other animals can survive here. We wouldn't be here either if it wasn't for the arma beasts. They seem to thrive in this cold season and in the heat of summer they seek the wet lands to the north. There is an old story that they were a gift from the Ancestors. Perhaps it is true, Teyla, for they seem well suited to this world."

Teyla nodded slowly and finally smiled at her old friend. "I think it may be true. They left bounty on many worlds, after all."

The team followed Teyla and Lamardra into the women's circle where tea in a large pot was already steaming at the fire where Lamardra had served her guests earlier that day.

...15

Sheppard and Ronon kept a close eye on the men working in the lean-to. Miko saw their wariness and stayed on the outskirts of the group near McKay. She knew from previous missions that there were those that defended and those that were mission specialists. If you were not one of the defenders, then you stuck close to the leader. Always, unless of course there were other orders given.

Rodney was a little embarrassed at first to be settled in the women's circle but with Sheppard and Ronon joining them, too, he relaxed... at least until Anyel's heckling started.

"You see, their men know where they are most comfortable."

Teyla was seated next to Lamardra. She ignored him and said nothing. She knew Anyel's kind too well. He wanted trouble, but she would make him force it if that is what he intended. She was not going to breach the peace of her friend's village if she could help it.

"The women will protect them. They are the great hunters, and fishers. And the scholar, of course."

Lamardra stared at Anyel. "They are guests. You will treat them as guests. Honored guests, and my long time friend. You should be ashamed to treat them so. Teyla and her friends must trade for goods as do we. Would you treat traders so? Only if you wished to _pay more_, and _get less_."

"Is that why you treat them so, Lamardra? You wish to _get more_, and _pay less_? But I don't see that they have anything to trade. How great are their hunting skills when they come back with no meat or furs to trade? Arma beasts are the best trade items here but not the only hunting that can be done. Where are their trophies of the hunt?"

Sheppard and Teyla traded glances. He was willing for Teyla to answer for the team since she knew this Anyel character, and facing off with him himself would only encourage the man. But Teyla knew that he and Ronon were ready to act if they had to.

"Not all hunting is the same. We found what we sought. Knowledge. Our scholar is well satisfied, and so are we."

Anyel grinned. "The scholar went hunting." He bowed mockingly. "I hope it was profitable."

Miko turned to Rodney. "May I tell them what we learned, _scholar_? It was important knowledge of this world that you discovered."

McKay looked at Sheppard, and he nodded and added, "I don't see any harm."

Miko stood from her seat to face them. "We learned that the arma beasts were brought here by the Ancestors. They were not suitable for this planet's extreme weather, but the Ancestors worked to _change them_, to provide them for people that lived here, and would in the future. For you and your families."

Anyel was speechless for a moment. Then he chuckled. "But that is what we believed anyway. What use is that?" He stepped closer to Miko.

Sheppard, Ronon, and Teyla all tensed. McKay, too, looked ready to jump up at any further provocation.

Miko's chin came up but she didn't waver. "Knowledge adds to our understanding of the Ancestors. That alone is important. They developed techniques that can be applied elsewhere someday if there is need."

Anyel stepped closer and shouted, "YOU. Do what the Ancestors did? Do you think I'm stupid because I am not your _scholar_? You are just people, like us."

Rodney stood beside Miko to try to draw attention away from his scientist, or at least to show a united front. It didn't help to deter Anyel though.

Miko tensed. "We _are_ people like you. But we try to learn. There is much to learn from the Ancestors. Anything we learn adds to our knowledge. That is all we seek today. To learn."

"Teyla. Your scholar is weak, probably weaker than you or the little one that he let's speak for him. I could defeat him as easily as if I fought one of the women."

"Anyel," Lamardra snapped. "Leave the village. Now. I will not have violence against our guests."

"No?" Anyel's grin meant only that mischief was coming. He stepped forward aggressively, then feinted to one side, before he stepped in quickly to swing at McKay. But Rodney had had a lot of defensive training from Ronon by then. He easily side-stepped away from the fire and Miko, and blocked the man's blow which surprised Anyel, who was more used to bullying than engaging in an organized fighting style. But it only goaded him into trying to rush Rodney.

But to everyone's surprise Miko dropped to put her hands on the ground and squatted on one leg. The other leg she kept straight and swept it in a blur to hit the back of Anyel's leg that was closest to her. He went down hard on his back as it was unexpected and knocked the breath from him.

Miko stood quickly in a defensive stance, ready if Anyel rushed her. But Anyel was having difficulty getting his breath.

...16

Sheppard winced and said softly to Ronon. "That had to hurt. Hope he didn't break a rib."

"I didn't know she could do that."

"Me either."

"Hey. What's katana? What's manga?"

Sheppard seemed to wince. "Uh, it's... Earth culture. You know the IOA is made up of five countries, but not one of them is Kusinagi's. It's different from mine, McKay's, Beckett's, Khumalo's, Shapiro's, Zelenka's, El Sayed's, Petrov's, Romano's, Brisette's, and most of the others..." Sheppard just shrugged his shoulders. It was too much to explain and they didn't have time for it right now anyway.

Ronon shook his head at Sheppard and turned away. He'd save his questions for later. Another Earth culture, but he wasn't really surprised.

Teyla glanced at Ronon and just sighed deeply. There was so much to know that those from Earth took for granted. She and Ronon would try to parse out the meaning sometime, even if they didn't and couldn't understand the full cultural background.

She had always wondered... why? What had sent a group of people such as the Tau'ri to a place, a world, a galaxy, where they didn't even know if they could live. Brave? Or Fools? She knew the reason they gave, but was that enough?

She'd also wondered what she would have done if she'd gone through the Gate to their world, not knowing anything of them. Just the thought made her head spin. Most worlds in Pegasus had some things in common, at least knowledge of the Ring. Earth lacked even that.

...17

Teyla went to stand in front of Anyel and waited for him to get over the shock and the surprise and to catch his breath. She spoke sharply. "You will join the men now. Or do you wish to fight me, too?"

They all knew that for a man like Anyel, this was an embarrassment, and he would surely be mocked by his fellows. But surprisingly, he had nothing to say for now, as he was finally able to straighten and walk away.

Lamardra bowed a slight bow to Teyla and the others. "Please, one warm cup of tea for your journey. I will not ask for more than to send our guests away with at least that hospitality." She glanced at Anyel. "He is troubling, and I am sorry this trouble fell to you. Just one cup to warm you on your way."

Teyla nodded assent and they settled by the fire and the warmth felt good. Sheppard and Ronon stayed standing and kept the men in their sight all the while. The tea was welcome in the growing chill of late afternoon.

...18

But the day took another turn as Teyla gasped. She sought the eyes of her team mates and Lamardra. "Wraith. They must have just come through the Gate. The Ring, Lamardra."

Rodney pulled out his LSD and stood quickly with the others. "There are four. They're heading this way. They're walking but they're probably not burdened with anything so they'll make good time. And I don't see any humans between them and us at the moment."

Anyel looked at him in confusion. "You sense Wraith, too?"

McKay was all business, and snapped out, "I've learned a great many things about the Wraith _and_ the Ancestors. They're coming. If you don't want to believe me, then believe Teyla, at least."

Anyel grimly turned to Lamardra. There was no doubt that he believed Teyla, and just possibly the scholar was gaining ground with him. "Gather the children quickly. We will stand here till we know you have time to reach the hidden places."

Sheppard turned to the team. "Ronon, stick with McKay and Kusinagi. Teyla, find out which direction the women and children are heading so we can try a diversion if we can't stop them."

Anyel snorted. "Stop them. You are braggarts and fools, too. No one stops the Wraith. We will stand here at the village and do what we have to do, to _divert them_, as you say. With our lives if we must. This much _we know_."

Sheppard simply said, "Then we will stand with you."

"You can send your women with ours to hide." He glanced at McKay warily. "Your _scholar_, too."

"No thanks. We depend on the scholar as he depends on us. We're a team. We stick together."

"Suit yourself." Anyel looked quickly around the natural barricade of wood that enclosed their village. The stacks they had built were orderly and offered no real places to hide from Wraith weapons. He instructed the men to find or fashion nooks where they could hide out of sight, and to create niches where they could be ready to ambush the Wraith.

None of them trusted that the _guests_ would stand and fight. The equipment they carried was very odd, and looked awkward the way they carried it, but they'd guessed that at least some were weapons. But they had little knowledge of firearms or how powerful theirs were.

...19

They waited in silence for the most part. Whispers and minor changes in defensive positions went on between the village men. The women and children were well away and hopefully hiding their tracks and would soon be in their hidden places.

The men of the village watched Sheppard's team, watched as small gestures were passed in complete silence. They also saw that they all watched the one called McKay, and he watched a small device. They all caught his movements when his head came up, and he passed a signal to the others. They didn't know what it meant but they all tensed. McKay had said four. The Wraith would eventually show themselves. The others half believed him, and so they believed themselves ready.

Teyla saw that the men nearest their gate seemed to grow confused. She could sense that Wraith telepathy was fogging their minds. She gave signals to her team to warn them to be careful of the mind tricks, and that they were very, very close. After she gestured to her team McKay frantically waved, held up two fingers, and pointed, gestures that no one misunderstood. The team members were hidden from view but they readied their weapons just as two Wraith entered the village.

But the village men were disappointed that their guests didn't fire their weapons. Sheppard gestured to the men with a signal they took to mean to wait. They then realized that they were waiting for the other two Wraith to show themselves.

They were all hidden well enough. They could wait. These Wraith had stun weapons the villagers were familiar with that could overpower them easily. They would wait until they were close enough so that they could attack with their cudgels and sharpened pikes. They were the only weapons needed even against arma beasts since everyone knew every creature had a vulnerable area; you just had to find it and exploit it. Except Wraith. No one they knew had ever killed one. And even when they were injured and surely dead, they didn't stay dead for long.

It was only a minute before the other two Wraith appeared. They had no fear but walked boldly into the village. Their minds could sense human's presence but they had no fear of their feeble weapons.

The men still waited because they were still too far away when they saw Sheppard signal again, and the powerful weapons they carried began their assault on the Wraith.

It was a shocking assault. Something they'd never witnessed before. Four Wraith, and five weapons unleashed against them. Men and women, all were firing, even the little one and the scholar. So fierce they sounded, and the men could see they had effects on the Wraith, but they only stumbled back a little before they started to return fire with their stun pistols and staff weapons.

Then Sheppard's team ducked behind what cover was available when the Wraith weapons fired back. But the team's firing never stopped completely. Yet it wasn't long before one weapon after another ran out of ammunition. They were replenished from their packs but eventually the large weapons were silenced and smaller weapons appeared. They were less fearsome than the other weapons, and they fired them sparingly but more accurately, and Ronon's, the big man, his weapon still worked and still the Wraith came on not even bothering to find cover.

The village men knew of the Wraith healing powers but had never seen them recover from such damage as their guests inflicted. It was terrifying in it's own right.

The Wraith could move swiftly. Two of them managed to grapple with Ronon as he was the nearest on that side of the gate into the village. His weapon also was the more dangerous as it hadn't yet run out of ammunition. Unfortunately his blaster wasn't much use for close combat. But he had other weapons at his disposal, and he unsheathed a great long knife from somewhere.

One Wraith was behind him and one in front as they struggled. Ronon managed to stab the one in front of him in the throat, but the blade went through and caught in the tough vertebrae of the Wraith's spine. His blade was trapped for too long a moment. Before Ronon could release it, the other Wraith pushed Ronon to the side and up against the wall of wood near where the first Wraith laid.

Ronon's forehead took a blow from a piece of the stacked wood and was momentarily stunned by the force of the attack, and the Wraith was able to twist him around to face him, then he pushed Ronon back against the wood. He easily held Ronon with one hand on his throat and snarled in triumph as his feeding hand neared Ronon's chest.

Anyel almost gave the order to attack but he was stunned with surprise that the little woman, who had been firing a small weapon at the time, scrambled for the scythe Lamardra had been sharpening. With a fierce yell she swung at the Wraith who held Ronon in place. The woman hit the feeding arm hard enough to slice through it, and the Wraith let out an alien scream.

Ronon was then able to lift his weapon and shoot him point blank. Then he shot the other downed Wraith lying near the wall of wood just to be certain. He'd had many years to learn that they were hard to kill, and harder to keep dead.

...20

The village men knew this was their time and didn't wait for Anyel's shout for them to run forward to attack. They knew the Wraith had been slowed, and two were stopped. The guests to their village had tried, and still they fired, but it was up to the village men now. Maybe they _could_ stop them. Maybe they _could kill_ them.

But suddenly there was chaos as several of them were knocked unconscious with a stun grenade. The Wraith were arrogant but the two that were left didn't like being ganged up on or losing. They both tried to retreat from the village, but one was swarmed by more of the villagers before it got more than a few steps. It was carried to the ground by the weight of half a dozen men. The Wraith tried to throw them off as he struggled with them until several cudgels landed blows to it's head and they'd managed to stop him; or at least stunned him.

The one Wraith that was left continued his retreat through the Gate, but Anyel closed in on it. He moved alone to stop the Wraith because the others were too far away at the moment. He swung his cudgel with all his strength but the Wraith blocked the one blow as easily as if the man had been a small child.

Sheppard saw Anyel's plight. "McKay, Teyla. Anyel's in trouble."

They all concentrated their 9mm fire on the Wraith while trying to avoid hitting the man. Rodney was closest and managed to shoot the Wraith right between the eyes, and he fell but still twitched. Breathing hard, Rodney walked up and shot him again. Then he turned and offered a hand-up to Anyel, who slowly took it.

Sheppard's team moved in on the four Wraith that seemed dead, if not completely, permanently dead, because they knew from long experience that their bodies were still trying to heal themselves. Ronon didn't have a problem with making sure they stayed dead.

Sheppard's adrenaline was running high as was the others. "McKay, Kusinagi, Teyla, stand down. Ronon, just keep an eye on the dead ones, okay. Use that big gun if they don't stay down. Kusinagi, check his head wound. Make sure it's clean and bandaged but stay out of the line of fire between him and the Wraith."

Teyla glanced at the village men still standing. "Anyel, have one of your men check the others. They should be alright in a while, since they were just stunned, but make sure they are breathing alright. The rest of you, hurry, pile up some wood and set a blaze going and haul their bodies onto it. It is not a good idea to leave any evidence that you beat the Wraith. They do not like it and might make reprisals."

Two of the men left to go to the hidden places to bring back the others. They needed to move fast now. Plans made long ago were being followed.

...21

Lamardra and the others stood back from the pyre the bodies were on. She spat in their direction. Looking to the others she said, "They smell worse than arma beast dung."

Sheppard smirked. "You'll get no argument from me."

Lamardra turned to two of the young teens. "Go. Bring some sweet willow to add to the fire. There is no need to suffer the smell of that."

The team and a few of the villagers stood together and took the last of the tea. There were important things happening, and men and women together moved swiftly to pack or hide their village's goods. They looked like they knew what they were doing, like they'd practiced the evacuation that was in progress.

It was known that since the Wraith didn't make it back to the Ring to report to the hive others would come to check on them. Darts might come, and they could fly faster than those that traveled on foot so there was no time to lose.

Since Sheppard's team was almost totally out of ammunition they needed to return to base. They offered to send reinforcements or take them in temporarily at least. But the villagers had alliances, too. They had an evacuation plan already well underway. It was common on most planets to go to an ally's planet for a time. The younger people were scattering the wood of their fortress to hide some of the supplies, like those in the root cellar, that they couldn't take with them, while the others made up packs.

They also threw arma beast dung on the fire as it burned low, to further hide the evidence of their victory. They hoped to convince the Wraith that they had abandoned this village; it was getting colder and if there was no heat left in the fire maybe they would think it burned out some time ago. And soon, the weather would be too fierce for them to search anyway, at least on foot, and snow hid much. That's another reason the people stayed, not just because arma beasts were valuable for trade. The Wraith hated the weather more than they did.

All those that could, the children and the elders, left immediately for the Gate... the Ring, with an escort. The team was pleased when they learned that they carried what looked like some kind of flute. They'd seen them before on a few planets and they knew they were extremely piercing whistles that were used to warn the villages off the main trail. The team waited for the last of the villagers and carried what they could to help them. By the time the sun set, and the snow came, they were long gone.

…Epilogue

Ronon didn't let a strenuous mission and a Wraith encounter alter his routine once he returned to Atlantis. He and Teyla had made some inquiries and were pleased with what they learned. He considered his plans and got approval from Sheppard.

Today he showed up at the lab just as Rodney was slowly putting his work away. It was time for another of McKay's dreaded training sessions.

"Well, if it isn't Conan. Did you think I'd try to duck out on a session?"

Ronon had learned the _leaning thing_ from Sheppard, but he wasn't quite as relaxed as Sheppard was at slouching in a doorway. He soon gave up and just crossed his arms. "You wouldn't try to duck out on _another_ one would you McKay."

Rodney grimaced. "Okay, it wasn't my finest hour, but we'd just gotten back from the mission." Then he scowled. "And then you doubled the next one!"

Ronon smirked. "Ready?"

Rodney sighed, tapped his computer and closed it. "Yes. Ready to get beaten to a pulp again." He stood and almost made it to the door before he noticed Ronon hadn't moved. He threw his hands out to his sides and snapped, "What?"

Ronon turned away from McKay and the door to stare. "Well? What about you, Kusinagi? Will you join us today?"

She jumped and stared back, her eyes were big with shock.

Ronon smirked again. "If I can't teach _you_ something, maybe you can teach _me_. Or McKay. Ikuzo*. That means _let's go_, right?"

Miko stood slowly and bowed deeply. "Yes." She grinned as she stood. She added thoughtfully, "A Wraith attack is something we must always be prepared for, but I was surprised that we encountered them on a mission when I hadn't been on one in months. And I must admit that I never expected to use a kama is a weapon. It is much like a sickle. But the scythe Lamardra left near the village entrance was even better for what I needed to use it for. It had a longer reach."

Ronon snorted. "Lucky for me."

She bobbed her head to hide her grin. "Yes, of course. It was lucky..."

End

. org/wiki/Lucasfilm

Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of The Walt Disney Company. light saber... Star Wars!

hinative .com/en-US/questions/372473

* ikuzo: quote from site: "I've heard people in anime say 'ikuzo!' (as in let's go!)"

. org/wiki/Manga

Manga (漫画 manga) are comics or graphic novels created in Japan or by creators in the Japanese language...

. org/wiki/Katana

Historically, _katana_ (刀 or かたな) were one of the traditionally made Japanese swords … that were used by the s_amurai_ of ancient and feudal Japan. The _katana_ is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands.

. com/wiki/List_of_International_Oversight_Advisory_personnel

British; Chinese; French; Russian; U.S.A.

. org/wiki/Kama_(weapon)

...a traditional Japanese farming implement similar to a sickle (used for reaping crops and also employed as a weapon.

. com/What-is-the-difference-between-a-sickle-and-a-scythe

Both a scythe and a sickle can be used for cutting grain, but the scythe has reach and a cutting width that is much greater than a sickle. For that reason, and the fact a scythe is used standing up straight, it would be easier for most people to cut a large area with a scythe than a sickle.


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